We’re not going to travel too far back in time for this week’s installation of Throwback Thursday, but we think our selection is very appropriate. With this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in full gear, we’re seeing an unfathomable number of Android phones and tablets announced by dozens of electronics manufacturers. So here at BGR, we thought it would be appropriate to take a short moment to pay homage to the little handset that started it all. We’re talking about T-Mobile’s G1, also known as the HTC Dream.

Released on October 30, 2008 in the United States by GSM carrier T-Mobile, the G1 was the first smartphone to be marketed with Google’s new Android mobile operating system. The G1 — which retailed for $129.99 on-contract and $399.99 full retail — was a horizontal-sliding, full-QWERTY handset with a unique hinge. The G1 paired its keyboard with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro-SD card slot, and navigation trackball. The handsets Achilles heel was, undoubtedly, the humble 1150mAh battery — which proved to be inadequate for the device’s hardware. In April of 2009, T-Mobile officially announced that that it had sold 1 million G1s.

This week, as you see Android devices of all shapes and sizes announced, take some time to pour one out for the device that started it all… the G1. More →

Last night we posted a friendly survey asking some easy questions about Android. It included the devices that it runs on and also what everyone loves and dislikes most about the platform. We had an awesome response to it in a pretty short time period (over 2,800 completed surveys since last night), so here are the results! More →

Another year, and even more devices, products, and services to look forward to. Things will be smaller, more advanced, faster, and some new markets might even be defined, but for now, check out the top 10 posts of 2009 (by traffic):

If you’re currently using every other Android device besides the Motorola DROID, you might have thought that Google was holding out on that navigation love. Luckily, and just in time for your holiday travels, Google Maps Navigation has just been made available for Android 1.6. Now your myTouch 3G, Motorola CLIQ and T-Mobile G1 can better help you in getting around your in-laws’ town for turkey day with GPS voice navigation, automatic re-routing and Google’s new Layers feature for navigation. Unfortunately for Hero and Eris users, you’re left out in the dark until HTC and your respective carriers crank out that 1.6 Donut update for your phones. We’re crossing our fingers for you that it hits before Christmas. More →

A mere two days after its release, Android 2.0 SDK has already been ripped from the womb and ported over to a T-Mobile G1. Currently in the most crude state possible, the cooked ROM runs as quickly as Babe Ruth did at his heaviest (and drunkest).The mere fact it’s able to run without melting the G1 and its 192MB of RAM, though, should give hope that the fine folks over at XDA-Developers will be able iron out enough wrinkles to make it usable as a daily driver. The only question is will G1/Dream and myTouch 3G/Magic users be treated to some delicious Eclairs like Hero users, or will they be stuck stuffing their faces with Donuts? We’re thinking the latter. Hit the jump for a video.

Sure it looks a bit odd in the image above, but don’t be fooled — Layar’s preview of its updated AR interface is as cool as the other side of the pillow. What’s better than augmented reality? 3D augmented reality, of course. We told you about Layar’s AR browser for Android back in August and since then, it looks like the Layar team has really kicked things up a notch. This morning, Layar released three new videos that preview its new 3D augmented reality browser that is currently on display at the Picnic Conference in the Netherlands. As far as how Layar has implemented 3D objects in its browser, here’s a description straight from the horse’s mouth:

Layar 3D makes use of OpenGL, the accelerometer, the GPS and the compass of the phone. Developers can place 3D objects in their content layers based on coordinates. Objects can be optimized in size and orientation to create an immersive and realistic experience. The 3D capabilities support live downloading and rendering of 3D objects. Actions such as “open link” or “play music” can be assigned to 3D objects.

Layar plans to launch its 3D AR product in November as part of its version 3.0 update and to put it mildly, we can’t wait. Hit the jump for the preview videos.

Augmented Reality is quickly becoming a hot ticket item in the mobile world and we’ve seen various nifty applications of the technology previewed recently. The key of course, is finding useful and valuable ways to apply AR concepts to mobile devices. Today, a preview of another infinitely useful AR app is making the rounds and we’re digging it big time. While the app name isn’t overly creative — Augmented Traffic Views — the application itself is fantastic. Built for the Android platform, Augmented Traffic Views combines a layer of AR above the device’s camera view with live traffic camera images and traffic data. Simply hold the Android handset up and the AR layer displays all available traffic camera points in the direction you’re looking. Tap one to see the most current available image taken by the cam. The app also packs some added features, such as an automated predictive tracking mode that will pop up traffic cam images ahead while you’re driving. Brilliant. Potentially dangerous, but brilliant. For the time being, Toronto is the only city covered by the app and there’s no word on when it might be available to the public. Hit the jump for the video and keep your fingers crossed that the developer decides to bring his work stateside to hit some major US metro areas as well.

Ok, seriously… Layar kicks ass. Big time. Sure you look ridiculous swinging your phone around to see which new icons jump onto the screen, but it’s totally worth it. For those who haven’t yet heard of Layar, here’s how it works: Using the camera on your Android handset, Layar displays the world around you with an added layer of location-based content on top. So if you search Google or Yelp for a restaurant, the Layar browser will plot results in a 3D layer above the live video displayed on your screen from your camera. But it gets better. Layar is actually a platform more than anything else, so a number of third-party developers have jumped on board to provide their own layers (or Layars). Currently available content includes Flickr, Wikipedia, Yelp, Google local search, Qype, Britekite, Twitter and more. With Layar’s recent announcement, the augmented reality browser is now available globally on the Android OS — it even ships pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy in the Netherlands. What’s more, the company is already eying the iPhone 3GS and plans to have its browser ready for the handset some time next year. In the meantime, Android users need to hit the Android Market ASAP to snag Layar. Hit the jump for a pair of demo videos.

This is pretty interesting even if it doesn’t apply to you (you’re not a T-Mobile G1 owner): apparently since the T-Mobile’s G1 internal flash memory is so puny, any OS updates after Cupcake (1.5) simply won’t fit. That means besides for some possible security updates, little fixes here and there, the T-Mobile G1 is a wrap as far as new software from an operating system perspective is concerned.

What’s even more interesting is how Google-branded HTC devices differ in memory compared to straight HTC Android smartphones. Besides any licensing restrictions as far as the Google name is concerned, the reason why HTC’s Sense UI won’t be coming to Google devices is that the built in RAM is much lower than HTC phones. Anyone willing to bet that the HTC Dream will be upgradable beyond Android 1.5 and Google devices again get the short end of the stick?

It looks as if Google has some sweet, sweet treats headed to those who are going to be left out of the Sense UI game as the company has released the code for Donut to developers. Apparently designed to work on all existing devices (read G1 and Magic), Donut will include such lusted after features including but not limited to multi-touch support, universal search, text-to-speech, automated backups and a redesigned camera app. There are also a bunch of new widgets including a much welcome home screen toggle for things Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, screen brightness and more. CDMA radio support looks to be included within Donut under the call settings menu — something not at all surprising considering Sprint’s Dan Hesse has recently been talking about his company’s intentions with Android. One thing to note is that XDA’s cyanogen claims that Donut is not Android 2.0 but is more or less an incremental upgrade to the OS, like Cupcake was. We’re not too sure yet if this is indeed the case but cyanogen is certainly a reliable source. In the words of Ace Ventura, iiiinteresting. Hit the jump for some screenshots.

Apparently the only way to stop people from continuously sending this tip in is to run it, so here we go: Eric Schmidt was caught rocking a BlackBerry. Oooooooo. Sure Google’s CEO can have his pick from the current stock of Android-powered handsets and likely from amongst a handful of unannounced devices as well. It would appear as though Schmidt knows what everyone else in the free world knows, however — if you want to get stuff done, use a BlackBerry. We imagine Schmidt has a handful of Android devices he uses as well of course, but it’s always fun to point and laugh. So people… Point and laugh.

Though they have only been on sale in Canada for one month, Rogers Wireless has just lowered the 3-year contract price of both the HTC Dream and Magic by $50. This means anyone who wants to pick up either device will be able to do so for $99.99, a very good price for such capable and feature-rich smartphones. As for the reasoning behind the quick price drop, we’re hearing it’s twofold: 1) Rogers wants to make it easier for people to pick up smartphones along with the required (and highly profitable) data plans. 2) The carrier is apparently also having a hell of a time convincing Canadians to snag a smartphone that isn’t made by Apple or BlackBerry — the two most sought after and coveted smartphone brands in Canada. Apparently the “Revoution” was anything but.

Over the past few month, we’ve seen several sites run cost comparisons on the latest and greatest smartphones from each of the top four carriers in the US. Good — presenting readers with cost analysis is always a good idea. We’re finding that just about all of these comparisons do so on the high end of the spectrum however, comparing the cost of owning each of these great smartphones along with the most expensive plans available from their respective carrier. Fair enough, we suppose. The simple fact of the matter is that not everyone is interested in an expensive unlimited plan though. For these people, comparing the maximum possible cost of several smartphones definitely makes for an exciting read, but we don’t know how useful it really is.

Unlimited plans continue to gain popularity as cost is driven down but the fact of the matter is that they’re just not for everyone. As such, rather than compare the highest possible cost of four popular smartphones maybe it makes a bit more sense to compare their relative entry-level costs — the base price, where most comparisons happen. Yeah, let’s give that a shot…